动词的过去时
1. 一般过去时
(1) 一般过去时表示过去的动作或状态
[1] 一般过去时通常与表示过去的时间状语连用。
与一般过去时连用的时间状语有：yesterday, last night(week, year, month, Sunday),then, at that time, at that moment, just now, a few days(weeks, months, years) ago 等。例句：
Lucy turned off all the lights before she went out.
出门前露茜关了所有的灯。
[2] 一般过去时也可以与 today, this week(month, year) 等时间状语连用 ，但这些时间状语应指过去。如：
Did you see him today? 你今天见他了吗？（today指今天已过去的某一时刻）
[3] 一般过去时还可以和for或since引导的时间状语连用。如：
I stayed there for two months. 我在那里呆了两个月。
Nothing happened since then. 打那以后什么事都没有发生。
(2) 有时一般过去时的时间状语或是在上下文、或是暗含于句中
Who was that? 那人是谁？
I saw Ker in town. 我在城里看见了克尔。
(3) 一般过去时在时间和条件状语从句中表示过去将来的动作或状态。
Hans said he would let us know if he got any news.
汉斯说要是得到消息就告诉我们。
2. 过去进行时
(1) 过去进行时表示过去某时正在进行的动作
[1] 过去进行时通常和时间状语连用。如：
We were having dinner when they came.
他们来的时候，我们正在吃饭。
[2] 过去进行时表示过去某段时间内持续的动作。如：
Carlos was staying at home all last week.
上周整整一周卡洛斯都在家呆着。
They were building a dam last spring.
去年春天他们一直在修一个水坝。
[3] 过去进行时表示与过去某个动作同时发生的动作。如：
I was reading while she was writing. 我在读书，她在写字。
[4] 有时过去进行时用于主句，位于其后的 when 引导的从句表示意外发生的情况：
I was walking in the street when it began to rain.
我正在街上走着，突然下起了雨。
(2) 过去进行时表示过去将来的动作
过去进行时的这种用法多表示过去的打算，通常仅限于come, go, leave, depart, start等一些表示移动的动词。如：
He didn't know whether she was coming. 他不知道她是否会来。
The delegation was departing three days later. 代表团打算三天后动身。
3. 过去完成时
(1) 过去完成时表示过去某时之前结束的动作或状态
When he got there, the train had already left.
他到了那儿时火车已经离开了。
Ina realized she had made a mistake.
艾娜意识到她犯了个错误。
(2) 过去完成时与when等从句连用
had+just / barely / hardly / scarcely+done...when..., no sooner...than... 是表示“刚……就……”或“不等……就……”的固定句型。如：
No sooner had we left the house than it began to rain.
我们刚离开家就开始下雨了。
I had not gone much farther before I caught them up.
我没有走多远就赶上他们了。
(3) 过去完成时表示持续到过去某时之前的动作或状态
We had finished the work by nine o'clock yesterday.
昨晚九点前我们已完成了工作。
The company had completed the project by the end of 1999.
到1999年底公司已完成了那个项目。
(4) 过去完成时表示未实现的愿望
过去完成时表示未实现的愿望的用法仅限于expect, hope, intend, mean, plan, think,want等动词，过去时间往往由一般过去时表达。如：
I had intended to speak, but time did not permit.
我本想发言，可是时间不允许。
I had hoped you might know.
我本希望你会知道的。
4. 过去完成进行时
过去完成时主要表示持续到过去某时之前的动作。如：
I had been looking for it for days before I found it.
这个东西，我找了好多天才找着。
The telephone had been ringing for three minutes before it was answered.
电话铃响了三分钟才有人接。
He was tired. He'd been working all day.
他累了。他工作了一整天。
After he'd been lecturing for half an hour, Professor Brown had a drink of water.
布朗教授讲了半小时课之后，他喝了一点水。